Lombroso's Theory Of Atavism Case Study

Cesare Lombroso (1972) laid the groundwork for predicting violent criminal behavior in certain segments of society with his founding of criminal anthropology. Lombroso (1972) believed that some individuals were born into criminality by inheriting certain predispositions, which were identifiable through congenital or physical anomalies known as atavistic traits. However, controversy exists around the idea that individuals prone to violent criminal behavior can be identified by their outer appearance. Can future violent offenders be identified through these types of atavistic traits? While Lombroso’s (1972) theory of atavism originated from his study of criminal anthropology, it should be viewed with extreme skepticism as it subscribes to elements …show more content…
Although the pro viewpoint makes a viable case for atavism in terms of criminal anthropology, the con viewpoint wins the argument as both sides agree that sociological factors play an important role in the origin of violent criminal behavior. Even taking into account the genetic/chromosomal link between the four aforementioned mental health disorders, there still is no direct correlational link of these disorders to violence, only risk factors. In other words, not enough data exists to make this correlation. Therefore, a future recommendation would be to conduct a longitudinal study of five families over a ten year period, in which they undergo genetic testing, reside in various neighborhoods that include high and low crime rates and range from urban to rural areas, then compare these results to the number of individuals within each family who has been convicted of a violent criminal act within this same time period to determine if any correlation exists between mental health disorders/sociological conditions and